Hi. I'm trying to help a friend named Peter. He got a rescue dog that had been running the woods with another dog. The Humane Society caught them, and Peter ended up with "Beemer." She looks mainly black Lab, but is somewhat smaller than a Lab would normally be.

Peter and Beemer have lived at the same place in Wisconsin for three years. (Beemer might be about 5 years old.) Peter has never neglected the dog; he certainly hasn't abused her; she actually has the best of everything. She does need a leash, as the place where she and Peter live has no dog run. But he takes Beemer for a walk more than once each day. Other than that, she stays in his apartment, sleeps in bed with him, and looks like the picture of a dog who has it made.

Unfortunately, she has run away three times. Peter got her back once, when he found her hanging out with another dog. I'm not sure what happened the second time, but this time she's been gone for almost two weeks. The odd thing (to me, anyway) is that she's hanging around the area. There are many people she knows, but if anyone approaches her, she'll walk away.

Last night, Peter was sitting in his car, when Beemer walked into the parking space next to him. He didn't want to try opening the door, since he'd done that before, and she walked away from him, too. So he talked to her, hoping she might show some sign of wanting to come closer. Instead, she walked away again. This morning, Peter said, "I don't understand. She actually looked so sad standing there. Her tail was drooping straight down."

I feel so bad for both Peter and Beemer, and I have no understanding of a situation like this. If someone has ideas, we'll appreciate the feedback. Thanks much